Battle With Bastet
by TheLilyoftheValley
Summary: Giftfic for assassy-art. Melody on the Wings AU. Lukanette. Ladybug coughs, pain wracking her body as she throws out a hand to the musically-inclined Butterfly. "Stay away from her, Mélodieux! Bastet could kill you!" {Cover art by BlueStripedRenulian}


_(A gift for __**assassy-art of Amino and Instagram**__ because she made a Lukanette AU that not only features a kwami swap with one of her favorite characters, but also with two of mine._

_assassy: "Hey so what if we give Luka the Butterfly, Gabe the Peacock, and Nathalie a corrupted Black Cat Miraculous? It'd be cool, though I'm still working out the villain stu-"_

_Me: "I got you fam please let me help I will pay u to write stories for this plz let me write stories for this."_

_So here we are! An AU by assassy and a story inspired by the AU! Hope you all enjoy and ***__**Yes, Lukanette is abound!**__)***_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous or any of its characters. The "Melody on the Wings" AU belongs to **_**assassy-art**_** of Instagram and Amino. If you're on the Miraculous Amino, head to the third part of BWB to see art of Bastet!Nathalie and some Lukanette by the artist **_**BlueStripedRenulian**_ **(cover art by said artist)! I'm obsessed with this AU because Cat!Nathalie and Butterfly!Luka are amazing concepts and I'm a weak noodle for AUs that rock my entire existence.**

Battle With Bastet

My world flips upside down as the powerful Cataclysm rips through the building and knocks me back against a wall.

The hard brick of the train station crashes against my back, and for a moment I think I'm going to throw up. My spine nearly breaks against the force. My eyes roll upward as pain lights up every nerve in my body.

I plummet the short distance to the ground. High-pitched ringing from the explosion floods my ears, and my eyes are still adjusting from the sensory overload. My stomach twists and turns and kwamis above I'm so sick. I breathe, the breaths short and ragged, as I try to reorient myself before my enemy can get to me.

Everything hurts, and the ringing in my ears deteriorates as I heave against the cold concrete.

I hear a voice drift through my open yo-yo, cracked open against the floor. "_**Ladybug?! Are you there?! I saw the explosion, are you still there?! Are you okay?!" **_

Mélodieux's voice, one that's inspired dozens of people to help me in my fights, reaches my ears. It's faint to my hearing, but after so long, I know enough about the pitches and dips of his voice.

A small jolt of relief and longing runs through my chest, and I catch a muffled, "Thank God," through the speakers.

My arms shake as I lift myself up. I choke on the still-settling dust and smoke, and I push myself to rise to my feet.

"_**The others are still busy with the sentimonster. If Bastet is there with you, do not go near her! Not without back-up, she's far too dangerous to fight with without help!"**_

I squint through the settling dust cloud and catch a flash of black, the red accents on her suit giving her away.

She's looking for me.

My body's still shaken by the hard hit from the wall, and exhaustion from almost an hour of fighting starts to take its toll.

Tikki's powers can only last so long, can only protect me so much. I've already used my Lucky Charm, so it won't be long until I detransform.

My breathing is so ragged, and my lungs feel shredded.

_"Where are you, little bug...?"_

I hear her voice. It reaches through the settling smoke and rolls over me. Chills wrack my spine, and I swallow as I prepare myself for the next round of the fight.

My yo-yo must have picked up the echo of her words, because Mélodieux's terrified voice shouts through the speakers. "_**LADYBUG! DON'T GO NEAR HER! SHE'S TOO DANGEROUS! PLEASE, I'LL LET THE OTHERS KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND SEND BACKUP!"**_

No.

It's dangerous, but Bastet has done her own amount of terror to our city. She's been cunning, a lot smarter than our resident Peacock, Pavone. She's only been out a few times since the massive sentimonster army that happened on Heroes' Day, but those few times have not been light attacks.

She's done damage to the city. People are terrified of the Black Cat, and a heavy layer of fear comes with the mention of her name. Thankfully, the physical damage is erasable by the Miraculous Ladybug spell, but I can't let her get away again.

Not when we're this close.

Not while there's still some fight left in me.

The others are busy with the sentimonster, and if the Lucky Charm that fell out of my hands and into theirs when Bastet began the first round of fighting is used the way I directed before I was kicked into the main part of the station... then they have a good chance of finishing off the battle and winning against the sentimonster.

They'll be here soon.

For right now, I can't let that Cat get away.

I lean over and scoop up my yo-yo. "Mélodieux, I can't let her escape again. Not after all the destruction she's caused. The others will come once the sentimonster is defeated, and it shouldn't be long with my Lucky Charm in their hands."

His voice carries through the speakers, and I can hear the worry in his words. "_**They don't seem to be doing so well. Carapace and Rena are still trying to save Apis from the sentimonster's clutches, and the Lucky Charm they have still isn't in position. They won't be able to get to you in time!"**_

A heaviness settles in my gut. I breathe as my fingers squeeze my yo-yo.

"Then let me go. I won't let her raze Paris to the ground."

"_**NO! LADYBUG! I'LL-"**_

Something flies at me out of the darkness.

I dodge, whipping myself to the side as the baton end narrowly misses my yo-yo. My yo-yo shuts in an instant, and my fingers are already twirling it, ready to throw up a shield at a moment's notice.

Her laugh, quiet but malicious, reaches my ears. The baton draws back to the woman in black and red-striped leather. "I would have thought you were smarter than that, Ladybug. Calling for help, loudly, while your enemy is nearby?"

I see her blood red eyes shining in the darkness, pupils wide and eyes narrowed. I narrow mine, focusing on the same eyes that want to see Paris in flames. "My partners care about me, Bastet! Where's yours, huh? Is he still squirreled away while you do all his dirty work?!"

A low hiss comes from her mouth. Her fangs flash, and her ruffled cat ears lower as she leans over. Her fingers curl, claws flicking in and out as if practicing to sink into my skin.

"I guess I should take that as a compliment," she growls, the red streak in her hair only heightening the red ferocity in her eyes. "My partner trusts me enough to let me take on the famed Ladybug without the help of his sentimonster. Your friends, all four of them, can't handle the current monster."

The ends of her mouth curl upward. Predatory. "I know you're scared of me, little bug. Call all the help you want, your Miraculous will still end up in my claws no matter how long it takes."

I smirk. "Guess you'll be waiting for an eternity."

Before she can reply, the entire train station _moves_.

Support beams around the edges of the station start to crumble, and I hear the groan of the overhead ceiling trying to keep itself up. Small chunks of the walls begin to crash to the floor, and spiderweb cracks start to rip through the smooth concrete.

Bastet's Cataclysm must have really been powered up by her anger. She's only toppled two buildings before: the Eiffel Tower on Heroes' Day to save Pavone and the Arc De Triomphe to try and get Apis, and that was after Apis had thrown out a scathing remark about her being completely heartless.

Adrenaline races through me, and even though my earrings give the first warning beeps, I lower myself into a fighting stance.

She does the same, tail straight. "We only have a few minutes before the building collapses in on itself," she calls out over the trembling of the station. "Plenty of time for you to hand your Miraculous over to me and get out with your life."

My yo-yo bounces in my palm. My legs start walking me to the right, and she mimics the movements. "Not gunna happen, Bastet. I won't let you level Paris to the ground, and your time with the Black Cat Miraculous is up."

We circle each other, the metal above whining with warning.

"We'll see about that, LITTLE INSECT!"

With a hiss, she lunges straight for my face.

I reel back as the claws swipe at my eyes. My yo-yo whips out in an instant, knocking her back and buying myself some space.

It only lasts for a second before she starts swiping again.

I backflip, desperate to get some time to get on the attack. As I lean heavy on my right hand to keep myself steady, I shoot out my yo-yo and wrap it around her legs.

My legs drop to the floor, I straighten, and she plummets to the ground. A smile lights up my face as her legs kick against the string.

It's what I needed.

Her baton whips out, and with an angry screech, the baton end extends straight for my chest. My mind takes a second too long to register the small end coming for me, and I get knocked back.

My yo-yo zips back to me, a force of habit meant to protect against any split-second claw attacks that could come from anywhere.

She scissor-kicks and rolls, and in a second she's back on her feet. Swears run through my mind as I mirror the movements, desperate to get back the time I just lost.

It isn't enough.

She's back on me again, silver claws thrashing out. Silver flashes behind her, and suddenly two things are coming at me at once. I back pedal, hitting her claws back with my yo-yo in between hitting back the baton in her left hand.

Her legs enter, and suddenly I'm defending myself against baton twirls, roundhouse kicks, and claw swipes aimed for my eyes. I duck, throw up my shield to block the baton, and do everything in my power to avoid the whirlwind of attacks my enemy has become.

She's using everything she can to beat me back, and kwamis it's working well.

I hear a heavy thunk behind me, and in a second my foot catches on a small chunk of rubble. I trip, falling back as more chunks shower down on us.

Bastet dodges, her eyes darting upward between me and the ceiling. I roll, catching glimpses of her in between blocks of concrete trying to nail me in the face.

I spot a weakening support beam right above us, cracks from the floor running up to consume it. Inspiration strikes, and I throw out my yo-yo to pull myself up. It latches onto the beam near the ceiling, and with a strong pull, I shoot off the ground.

It gives me a jump.

The support beam crumples under my added weight and falls from its space. But it's exactly what I wanted.

For a split second, I'm above her. She's usually taller than me and takes advantage of that by attacking my face, but for the moment, the tides are turned.

She whips up her baton as my yo-yo curls around it, and as the support beam I had latched onto crashes behind me, I yank the string.

Her baton is thrown to the side, and my yo-yo zips back to my palm as I hit the ground behind her.

I would have pulled it to me to try and use, but I don't know how the baton works. With the station weakening around us and Bastet's aggressive fighting style, I can't afford uncertainty.

Her ears are almost flat against her head, and I can fully see her fangs as she heaves in air. Between her claws and retrieving her baton, she chooses to fall back on her claws.

It's only a second before she's back on me again. The silver nails swipe at me, and I do what I can to dodge them.

My movements start to slow after a good thirty seconds of dodging her swipes. Even though I've gotten a few kicks in, she's dodged most of them and she's unrelenting in her attacks. The exhaustion from earlier is returning full force, and there's nothing I can do about my rapidly depleting energy.

That's when the pain starts lighting up my skin.

A slash, right after a successful feint on her end, rips up the top of my left bicep. Another slash, one to the right side of my face. Her claws tear right across my stomach, not deep but plenty painful.

I suck in air as I double-over, her hands now balling into fists. One cracks against the side of my head, dazing me, and then her leg kicks out, roundhouse-style.

I fall against the floor, tears welling up in my eyes as pain lances through me. My head knocks against the cracked concrete floor, and I think there's some rubble behind me blocking an escape but I'm not sure.

I hear her laugh. Not just a condescending one, but a full on, evil laugh.

The beeping on my earrings becomes more apparent, and I hear them over fervent shaking of the station.

I see silver. She's got her baton back, and with me dazed on the floor with almost no energy, it's apparent that she might beat me with it before she's spent all her fun.

Cats play with their prey before the kill, and she's no different.

"Who is Ladybug?" she purrs. Her baton extends out to its normal length, and I see her heeled boots growing closer to me. "I've been curious about the enemy I've been fighting every once in a while."

I can barely move. My legs feel like noodles, and my eyes roll as invisible pins and needles jab at my middle. My teeth are tight together, but I can't summon the energy to lift up with my arms.

"In a few minutes, your transformation will fall, and your Miraculous will be mine." Another laugh. "All that talk at the beginning was nothing more that self-assurance, little bug. You can't beat me, and you only delay the inevitable."

I see her sneer at me as she stops just before me. Her baton raises over her head, ready to be brought down against my body.

"I'm just _so_ curious…"

The beeping grows louder, intermixed with the beeping on her own ring.

"Are you still the same indestructible hero everyone imagines behind the mask, or are you just a scared little girl playing with things she doesn't understand?"

A fire lights in me at those words.

Only for a second.

And a second is all I need.

I whip my yo-yo out, smashing it into her face.

With a howl of pain, she drops her baton and stumbles back, her gloved hands wrapped around her nose.

I slowly rise to my feet, leaning hard against the giant block of collapsed ceiling behind me. I can't stop shaking from the pain I have, but I give her straightened form my tightest smile.

"You know what they say, Bastet, 'curiosity killed the cat.'"

She pulls her hand away from her face, and I see blood running from her nose. Unbridled rage burns in her irises, and I know without a doubt that I'm going to feel another slash of those claws.

Her mouth curls as she crouches, dipping into an attacking position.

Her hand raises, and I know my body isn't going to have enough energy to throw up my yo-yo to block it in time.

"And, my dear little insect-"

A hiss, loud and hurtful to my ears, echoes out over the rumbling. All I see in her eyes is vengeance and fury as she lunges, her claws aimed right for my face.

"'-satisfaction brought it BACK!'"

_"__**NO**__!"_

A blur dives in front of me, but instead of the black blur of claws, it's a blur of light purple.

Air fills my lungs as I feel a ghostly impact of Bastet's claws, and I see her reel back in shock. Our eyes meet, confusion stewing in hers and no doubt in mine. We whip our heads toward the thing that darted between us.

An amethyst outfit captures my attention. A dark purple jacket, covering a light purple shirt with a blocky image of a butterfly. Flowy, light purple jeans paired with dark lavender combat boots. Neon violet colors light up the tips of shaggy black hair. A lavender mask stretches over his eyes, masking their identity and creating a wing-like effect over piercing dark-blue eyes.

And there's claw marks stretching across his face, ruby-red blood starting to drip from them.

It's him.

My partner.

The Butterfly.

He's so delicate-looking, and my gut churns as I realize the reason why he stayed away from battle and only sent Champions to help me.

His eyes glow, and as a shaky hand touches the scratches on his face, he sucks in air. His tongue darts out to lick his lips, and I see the fear in his eyes disappear as his eyes meet mine.

His eyebrows narrow, and as he looks to Bastet, I see courage in his eyes. He lowers his body, and he raises his fists.

"I won't let you hurt her, Bastet," he says, the normal soft-spoken tone of his voice gone. His knuckles whiten as he squeezes his fingers into his palm. "If you want to get to her... you have to get through me first."

I cough as I gasp, dust and rubble clouding my lungs. My heart seizes in terror, and with the messy tears in his face, I have an idea of what could happen to him if he fights Bastet.

"NO! STAY AWAY FROM HER, MÉLODIEUX! SHE COULD KILL YOU!"

As the floor goes from trembling to rocking, I see a predatory smile stretch across Bastet's face. She turns from me, her fingers stretching out as her claws flash in the light.

"Such a delicate little insect..." she purrs. "One moment little bug, I have a pesky little moth to deal with, then your Miraculous will be mine."

Mélodieux takes a deep breath, and I see his anger plain on his face.

Then I see his wink. Something that Bastet doesn't catch, but something I understand.

Lure. Divide and conquer. Bait away.

He'll serve as a temporary distraction while I rest for a moment, and once I have an ounce of energy to spare, we'll tag team Bastet and bring her down.

It's not the greatest plan, but it's practical, and it's our best shot at finally defeating Bastet and ending her reign of terror.

But that means Mélodieux might get torn to shreds in the process.

Bastet lunges.

Her claws drag up his right arm before he can take a step back. A sharp cry comes from him as she whips out her claws again, slashing the top of his chest and nearly catching the Butterfly Miraculous at his throat.

I'm already on the move, the pins and needles in my stomach forgotten. "**NO**!"

He tries to throw a punch back. Bastet dodges it easily, her heeled boot ramming into his stomach and knocking him to the floor.

My yo-yo whacks her right in the back of the head.

She stumbles, dazed, as I run to Mélodieux 's side.

He's panting as he stares up at the holes in the ceiling, making little effort to dodge the dust blanketing him. His eyes are watery, and I can see how much pain he's in by the way he sucks in air as if it's his last breath. Groans are coming from his throat in between each breath, and I know it's because he's never felt this level of physical pain before.

This should have never happened.

I fall to my knees next to him, gently cradling his face as I look down at him. Tears are dripping down my cheeks, and terror grasps my heart in my chest.

"Mélodieux? Are you okay?"

He looks up at me, the grimace disappearing and a soft smile replacing it. Everything softens, and his breathing begins to slow as he studies my face. "With you here," he says, "of course I am."

"You aren't," I say back. It's not like he can hide the way his face contorts as I brush a soft finger over one of the scratches. "This shouldn't have happened… You shouldn't have come. You wouldn't be this hurt."

"And what?" he questions in his normal soft-spoken tone. "Let you take on Bastet by yourself? Let you get hurt even more?"

His hand comes up and takes mine away from his face. The pain from earlier melts away from his expression, and air runs through his nose as he lifts up his torso. He grins as he links our fingers together. "My melody, I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. I'm not going to let you fall, not when I can catch you."

I see the love shining in his eyes, and suddenly, I have all the energy I need.

The Butterfly is meant to bring power to those it inspires, and I can see why Master Fu chose this particular user for the mantle.

I tighten my grip around his hand, stand, and pull him to his feet. I mirror his grin. "Then let's do this together. You and me. Let's take down Bastet and finally put a stop to this."

His hair swishes as he looks away, his expression hardening as we turn back to our Black Cat enemy.

As the building roars overhead, I catch her eyes.

She's... just standing. Watching us.

She's still, her fangs hidden from view, mouth closed. Her ears are perked up, and her chest shudders as she breathes. I see her push her claws into the palms of her hand, and as I look into her eyes, I see it.

Wanting.

She wants what we have. With her own partner? Does she want Pavone to do the same for her? Does she want him to rush in and save her from us, sacrifice himself and fight side-by-side with her? Or does she crave the emotion, the gentle touch of a lover's hand to hers?

Is there a heart somewhere in the heartless Black Cat?

I can't tell, and the second I see it, the next second it's gone.

The allusion shatters, and she shakes her head to snap herself back to reality. She lowers herself, and I see her take a breath before all trace of the gentle nature is destroyed.

Mélodieux looks to me, and I nod to him as we lower our stances and ready ourselves.

I twirl my yo-yo, making a shield for the combat.

Mélodieux raises his fists.

Bastet slips her baton out from behind her, growling as she glares at us.

The building groans, and I know there's only a few minutes left before the building collapses down on us. The others could repair it with a Miraculous Ladybug charm, but even then, we would risk detransforming.

It's now or never.

Mélodieux and I tear toward Bastet. She hisses and throws herself at us, baton off to the side, outstretched and ready to deck us.

As the ground fractures under our feet, we meet.

Bastet whips her baton at Mélodieux, but it cracks back as I dart around him and throw up my shield. He throws out a punch, taking advantage of Bastet's loss of balance from the deflected hit. A grunt comes from her as he sidesteps around her.

Her baton whirls, and as he throws out punches and I try to hit her with my yo-yo, she twirls it in a shield. She's fast, and in a second she's cracked it against Mélodieux's face and gotten him to take a step back.

Her fangs are barred, and as she turns to finish off Mélodieux, I whip my yo-yo at her back.

It nails her between the shoulder blades, and she twists back around to pounce on me.

I didn't expect her to jump so suddenly. An enormous shift in the ground beneath me throws off my balance.

I'm back on the ground, kicking my legs out as one of her hands pins mine to the ground. I see her left hand dart straight for my right earring, and I kick upward as hard as I can with my legs to get myself back up, but with her on my waist, I can't use my strength to get up.

I feel the pinch of claws near my earlobe.

A shout comes from behind Bastet. Mélodieux roars as he wraps his arms around her stomach and yanks her off of me.

She isn't light, but Mélodieux tosses her aside almost like a toy. I see surprise on her face as she tumbles to the side, the earring dropping from her hand and back into mine.

I adjust it back on my ear in a second, just before another inch of my mask disappears from my face.

Mélodieux pulls me to my feet, shaking as the concrete opens up a hole between his feet.

We stare at Bastet, weariness now showing up on her face as she uses her baton to help her stand.

We're all at our limits, and if it means anything, this last confrontation will decide who walks away with their Miraculous. We have a chance to take the ring from her, and I have no idea if we'll ever get this close again.

At the same time, we still need to get out of here alive, and if we tire ourselves out…

Suddenly, several things happen at once.

The beeping of all our Miraculous becomes so apparent that even over the roar of the building finally starting to give way, we can clearly hear the warning from out kwamis. My earrings are down to their last minute and a half.

I turn to Mélodieux and see his Miraculous flashing rapidly. Our eyes meet for only a second before a massive rail from the ceiling obliterates the ground to the left of us.

Then we hear the choking.

We whip back to Bastet, the woman doubled-over with an arm around her stomach. Her hand is over her mouth, and I see fear and pain burning in her wide eyes.

My legs are already moving towards her as her hand tears away from her mouth and black blood paints the concrete.

She struggles for air, and I reach out a hand to help. She glares at me, slowly backing away as her ring flashes a deep green.

Something crashes to the left of me, and a shower of dust explodes around me and Bastet. She darts back, gaining space between us, but she doesn't get far before she starts heaving again.

I squint at her through the dust, tears forming in my eyes as I see her form fall to the ground. She crouches, and I can't stop myself from wincing at the horrible sounds coming from her.

It sounds like she's being torn up from the inside.

"Bastet! Are you okay?! If not, then let me help you!"

She can't even hiss at me. All I hear is the start of it before more choking and coughing sounds fill the air.

I see the ground in front of her grow black.

My heart hammers in my chest, and as a chunk of the ceiling comes down on my right, I try to push my way to her. "PLEASE!" I yell as the roar grows louder and the building leans further inward. "LET ME HELP!"

I hear a strangled, "STAY BACK!" before she struggles to her feet.

An enormous piece of a support beam slams down onto the ground in front of me, driving me back from her. My arm darts back, and I stumble back from the force.

I catch one last glimpse of her red eyes before she bolts away, still unsteady on her feet and a hand clapped over her mouth.

I feel a hand pull my arm. Mélodieux is behind me, pulling me back as more structural supports start to plummet to the ground around us. "Ladybug, we need to leave now! The building's going to come down any second!"

I can't help myself. I look back in the direction Bastet ran off in, pieces of ceiling now an avalanche over the spot she used to be in, before Mélodieux gently moves my head back to look at him. His hands drop as his eyes plead with mine. "Please my melody, we can get to her another time. We need to leave now, or we won't make it out of this alive."

My heart is still stuck on Bastet and the clear agony in her eyes. "But-"

He squeezes my shoulders, not enough to flare up my wounds but enough to show me he isn't going to let me go off on my own and risk my life. Worry and fear cloud his blue eyes as his thin form shakes. "I promise you my melody, we will figure out what is going on with Bastet and stop her. But now is not the time."

I bite my lip, but I know he's right.

For now, I need to let Bastet go, as much as I don't want to. She's smarter than most, and I have no doubt that she'll make it out of the building without getting hurt too much more.

We need to get out of this situation if we want to live to fight another day.

I slide his hands off my shoulders as I steel myself. My expression hardens, and I focus on the task at hand.

"Alright," I say. "Let's get out of here."

I run past him, darting around the falling chunks as a huge piece of debris shatters the ground where we were a split second ago.

Before I completely pass him, his left hand slips into my right hand, squeezing tight as we tear across the station.

The roar of an incoming collapse consumes the air. High-pitched shrieks dig into my eardrums as the metal bends under the pressure. Avalanches of dust, concrete, and other building materials drumbeat against the station's floor as we aim for the last open exit to the station.

My partner trips, yanking down on my arm. I'm ready for it now that I'm fully focused on the state of the station, and I pull him up as he stumbles. A quiet, "Thank you!" is mostly drowned out by the station, but I catch it.

The light is right in front of us. The overhead arch is shaking, ready to give in at any moment.

Our pace quickens, and we sprint toward our target. Our injuries slow us, but maybe-

The arch shudders-

No!

We're so close!

His arm yanks me back as the archway caves in, cutting off our only exit. My scream of desperation is swallowed by the crash of the foundation.

The station behind us is almost completely destroyed.

We're trapped.

I whip my head around, looking desperately for an exit. Something! Anything!

"LADYBUG! THE SEWER!"

I follow my line of sight to where Mélodieux is pointing and see the sewer cover.

My legs are already moving and Mélodieux's right by my side. As we drop to our knees, pain shoots through my stomach, and the world turns I fight nausea.

I push through, bile rising in my throat as the station gives its final, massive scream.

The cover is off in a second.

Mélodieux looks at me for a split second before my look sends him down into the sewer.

The station collapses inward, the roar and dust consuming the atmosphere.

I slide into the sewer, my arm grabbing and slamming the cover down behind me.

I drop from the ladder as my stomach pains hit my concentration. Arms catch me as I swallow down something burning.

He sets me on my feet as we stumble around the corner.

And with that, the entire station gives out.

Dust and debris crash through the area behind us, and a small hole opens up where the sewer cover had been as a metal beam punctures the layer of concrete. Heat and clouds of dust blast past us, filling the air in the sewer pipe. The crash and bang of the station penetrates my eardrums, and I pray with every fiber of my being that the ceiling above us doesn't give out.

A moment passes-

The concrete holds.

And as the noise dies down and blissful silence fills the darkness, I feel everything start to calm.

I hear Mélodieux's gasps of air intermixed with mine, and as he coughs from the settling dust, I feel my nausea finally take over. I cough, already bending over and clutching my sensitive stomach. A hand immediately attaches itself to my right arm, and I feel Mélodieux to the left of me, keeping me up as I let my lunch go into the sewer canal in front of us.

And then the beeping stops.

Oh no.

It's dark but-

"Back-to-back!" I choke out. "NOW!"

Without a word, he flips us back-to-back, and as we slide down and hit our rumps on the cool concrete, light flashes over me.

Everything falls silent for a moment as we just… _breathe_.

The sounds of water droplets pattering against the concrete creates a soothing lull that dulls the terror still stewing in my veins. My head looks up to the ceiling, and I feel his hair against my head. He leans hard against me, though my exhaustion matches his, and I lean back hard against him. As far as I can tell, we're the only thing keeping us from fully collapsing to the floor.

After a moment, he speaks up, his voice quiet and soft. "Ladybug… are you okay?"

I take a slow, deep breath as the nausea starts to fade. My mouth has a bad taste in it and my throat burns, but I'm alive in one piece.

"…Yes… I'm fine…" My voice sounds hoarse to my ears, and I hear a worried sigh as I feel him lean a little bit forward to let me lean back more.

"How's your stomach?"

The claw marks still hurt, but the nausea's dulled and I couldn't be happier at that fact. "Still hurting… but I don't want to throw up anymore…" A cough catches in my throat, and I feel his arm move around and feel the floor as I fight to breathe and not start throwing up again.

"I'm so sorry, Ladybug," he says softly as I slow down. "I should have gotten there sooner. Had I been with you earlier, you might not have gotten so hurt."

Tears well in the corners of my eyes, something I'm not able to control and most likely caused from the dust floating around in the air. "No, no… it was my fault. I shouldn't have rushed into a fight, especially already knowing Bastet's strength-"

I hear a little mew of noise to my right, and a little purple glow lights up the wall beside me.

"Um…"

It's definitely not his voice.

I feel his left arm stretch out, curling more to his stomach. "I'm sorry, Nooroo, but I don't have any flavored water on me."

"Nooroo?" I ask.

A little purple kwami, one with the most delicate butterfly wings I've seen, flutters in from my right side. He strays back, and I see a little worry on his face as our eyes meet.

I crack a little smile. "Um… hello?"

Shyness blankets him as he looks up at me, his arms crossed over his body as a barely audible "hi" comes from the little butterfly.

Then I remember my own kwami.

"Oh god, Tikki!"

The glow Nooroo provides lights up my legs, and I feel her shift as she sits up. A groan, one that sounds dazed and disoriented, comes from her as she rubs a hand to her head.

"Plagg and Bastet make quite the team…" she says as she starts to glow. Red light, soft on the eyes, grows against Nooroo's purple. "They work together very well, and I've never seen Cataclysms that powerful before. If Plagg's Miraculous wasn't corrupted…"

She falls silent, and her eyes grow glassy as they dart down to avoid my eyes.

Nooroo drifts down and wraps a gentle arm around Tikki. A smile lights up his face as he helps her into the air. "Don't worry, Tikki!" he exclaims. "Plagg will be back with us as soon as you know it!"

He throws the arm that isn't wrapped around Tikki out, dramatically punctuating his point. "Think about it! When have you or any of the Ladybug holders ever encountered a problem you couldn't figure out a solution to? I can't think of a time, and we've been around longer than any human has!" A twinkle flashed in his eyes. "Plagg will be back with us safe and sound in no time at all, and it'll all be because of both of your hard work."

His optimism sinks in, and both Tikki and I give small smiles as we look at Nooroo.

"Do you really think so?" Tikki asks. She's always been the one to be the realist of the situation whenever there's been an active threat around, and even though she's the one to give me comforting words, she's still someone that needs to look at the facts to figure out what kind of situation is happening.

Nooroo grins, and he hugs her tightly to his side. "I know so."

"Trust Nooroo, Miss Tikki," Mélodieux says behind me. He chuckles. "Nooroo's optimism has helped me out numerous times before."

I feel his hand drift close to mine, keeping its distance but there if I want to hold it. "With you, Ladybug, and the rest of the team, we'll win in the end no matter what they try to throw at us."

A tiny growl then cuts through the air. Tikki blushes, then looks to me.

It takes a moment before my exhausted brain connects the dots. My smile widens as I give a small nod. "Oh, go ahead, Tikki. I should have more than enough macaroons and cookies."

As Tikki giggles, Nooroo perks up, and I see hunger of his own cross his face as he looks down at my purse.

"Ladybug, I hate to ask, but may Nooroo have some cookies too? He usually drinks flavored waters, but I don't have any on me at the moment."

A pleading look enters Nooroo's eyes. He could compete with Manon with those baby-doll eyes, and almost instantly I have no idea how anyone could say "No" so such a sweet face.

"Go ahead, little butterfly," I say. My right hand opens the clasp on my purse, and I see happiness light up their faces. "Have as much as you'd like."

His excitement causes the purple glow to grow brighter, and I turn my head farther forward to avoid seeing any glimpse of Mélodieux's detransformed self. "Thank you, M- I mean Ladybug!" he cries as both he and Tikki drop into my purse.

The glow dulls as they dig around, and they fall silent as they start to divvy up the cookies.

Silence settles between Mélodieux and I as we try to relax our bodies after the past half hour.

The muscles in my legs usually have a bit of an ache to them after every fight, though this battle has made me nervous about stretching them out too much. One wrong move, and my entire leg could seize up. The cramp would be exceptionally painful, and with a person behind me, I'd rather not do something that'll cause me to swear and jolt in agony.

I hear a hiss of pain behind me.

"Are you okay, Mélodieux?"

He falls silent for a moment before he speaks back up. "The claw marks on my face are sensitive to touch. I wanted to see if they had dried up a bit, but they're still a little fresh."

Guilt floods my chest, and I slowly reach back and slip my hand into his.

I trust him not to look to the side where our hands are intertwined, and I have no doubt he holds the same feeling.

"I'm so sorry," I say. I swallow, trying to add some weight to my seemingly hollow words. "This shouldn't have happened, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that you were hurt. If only I had been faster-"

A comforting squeeze of his hand sends tremors up my arm. I feel his thumb rub over the webbing of my hand, soft and smooth. "My melody, please don't blame yourself."

"But you were hurt," I retort. I send a squeeze of my own to his hand, and a little gasp, one I barely catch, comes from him. "That's not something I can take. Not after what happened with Chat…"

"I can take whatever is thrown my way, Ladybug." Sorrow tinges his voice before worry and frustration take over. "I know I wasn't supposed to head out into a head-on fight, but I couldn't let you fight her by yourself. The others were busy, and I think they still are, and I just didn't want you to get hurt any more-"

I squeeze his hand again, and his words are cut short. He takes a moment to breathe as I reply.

"It's okay, Mélodieux."

We fall silent as I take a moment to find my words.

The thought strikes me. Without him, I would have been in a much worse place. Had Bastet gotten me with her claws, right across my face when I had been at my weakest in the fight…

I blow air between my lips as I shift my hand, reaffirming my grip. "Thank you, my guardian angel," I say. "I think both of us didn't want the other hurt…" My heart hammers in my chest as guilt and gratefulness intermix. "…But I'm thankful that you showed up. Without you… I don't know what Bastet would have done had you not been there."

He bumps his head against mine, playful and soft. "I would do it again in a moment if it ever arose again. And this is going to… I know…" A raspy sigh sounds as he struggles to figure out what he should say next. "God, I'm not good at words."

"Say it." I smile as Luka crosses my brain. My friend's pretty good with his words normally, something he doesn't give himself credit for, but when he gets stuck, he really gets stuck. "Let it out, no matter what."

A little chuckle comes from him before he clears his throat.

"Thank you. Thank you for trying to take down Bastet again when you know how dangerous she is. She does a lot to get you alone with her so she can fight for your Miraculous, and every time you try to stop her from doing more damage…"

I feel his other arm move, and I can picture him laying his hand over his mouth. I hear the sigh before his arm drops back down. "I don't want you hurt, as anyone would, but-"

I squeeze his hand, and he quiets down. "I think we might go in circles if this continues," I say with a laugh.

My head dips back as I look to the ceiling. "When one of my friends and I get into that looping stuff, where we go in circles when we mean one thing, we say a codeword between us to break us out of the cycle." A breathy laugh escapes me as I think of the codewords between Luka, Alya, and I. "I think if we had the time, we'd spend all day telling each other how much we didn't want the other injured, and that wouldn't really accomplish much."

"I could go on for more than one day, my melody, though the few songs you have inspired me to write beg otherwise. They wouldn't last for a full day, but I think they should capture how I feel about you."

The blush burns up my face before I can stop it, and the goofy smile he always seems to give me melts onto my mouth.

"What do you want our little codeword to be?"

I think for a moment, listening to the silence for a moment. "What about 'harmony?' It isn't something we'd really say in normal conversation." The goofy smile grows bigger, curling up the edges of my mouth and making my chest lighter. "It also relates to your love for music."

I hear a soft laugh behind me. "Sure, I can stick with that, though I can't promise that I haven't already put into a few songs you've inspired me to write."

I know fully well that he can sense the emotions I feel, but it's still adorable to hear another soft laugh come from him as I duck my head into my free hand, embarrassment burning up my face.

I'm glad to have a partner like him.

He's always there to get my back, and even there's no monster running around, he's always been an easy person to talk to. He likes to listen, and I feel safe talking to him about any of my worries.

I know he's there for me, and it makes me want to do the same for him.

Bastet's wanting expression from earlier flits across my stream of consciousness, and suddenly the warmth is gone.

His thumb draws slow circles between my thumb and my pointer finger. I can't read his emotions, but I feel his mood and body shift as he picks up my growing worry. "Ladybug… do want to talk about it?" he asks.

My tongue darts out to wet my lips, and I struggle to find the words.

"What was… Is… Do you think Bastet is okay?"

"Well, she may have escaped the station before it collapsed…"

"No," I say, my voice delicate with concern, "Do you think she's _okay_? …Mélodieux, she was coughing up black blood. That's not normal in the slightest, and it's something that I don't think my Miraculous Ladybug charm will heal."

His head dips up and down as the weight of my words settle down.

"I think there's something bigger behind this," I say as I dip my head back against his shoulder blades. "With Bastet in the game, with how desperate Pavone's been in taking my Miraculous… I can't help but think there's something more than just causing terror."

My thoughts start to race, and my heart grows heavy as her pained face paints my mind. "What if they need my Miraculous to heal something, to maybe heal her? Pavone's always wanted my Miraculous, but he and Bastet are getting more and more desperate and cunning as this fight stretches on."

My breath catches in my throat. "What if I'm delaying aid by fighting back? If Bastet is hurt and I can help her- if I'm causing all this pain when it would just be easier to give up my Miraculous-"

The squeeze sends another rush of comfort through my arm. "Ladybug…"

"If there's a way I can get this all to stop and not have more people get hurt, Mélodieux, then I'm going to do it." I shake my head, ignoring the dull ache in my stomach as I shift. "If I'm the reason Paris is still being attacked, then I'm going to do whatever I can to stop it, even if it means Ladybug as you know her won't exist anymore."

My free hand steels into a tight fist. "I won't let our city and people go through more pain."

He stays silent for a minute, continuing to rub my hand. "My melody, I know you'll find a way to stop it. Like Nooroo said, you'll create a solution for the problem, something that will try to save as many people as possible from harm. You always do, and I wouldn't expect anything less." His thumb taps against my skin. "Just know that I'll be behind you to support any decision you make."

I sigh. "I really hope I can fix this soon. Especially if someone's life is at risk. I don't care if Bastet is my enemy, I can't stand by and watch as the Miraculous wears her away. It's not right, and I just…"

I feel his other hand scoop up my other free one, and while the pose is weird, it holds me up. I stare straight in front of me, careful not to catch a glimpse of his hand.

"We'll win in the end, Ladybug. You always try to do the right thing, even if it means you take a fall for it. No matter what happens, no matter if you want to help Bastet heal from whatever she's suffering from, or if you want to one-woman fight your way into making Paris a safer place, know that I'll be by your side to help you fix anything from falling apart."

I smile as my worry ebbs away and my hands tighten around his. "You really do know how to inspire people, Mélodieux."

He ducks his head away from mine, and I can picture the shaggy tips of his hair dipping over his eyes. I don't need an emotion-feeling Miraculous to know that he's bashful of the praise.

"I promise Ladybug, my powers aren't too special. They're just as important as the others' powers." He suddenly straightens. "Oh god, the others…"

I look up towards the ceiling. "Hm… if they got Apis sometime during our fight with Bastet… and they've been fighting the sentimonster and using the Lucky Charm like I advised them to… then that means-"

Light explodes around us, and a wicked grin floods my face.

The pain in my stomach disappears as a swarm of ladybugs rushes over my body. I feel my cuts and scratches close up, and my energy returns in an instant as I hear Mélodieux give a surprised gasp from behind me.

They burst back through the sewer cover, and I hear the clunk of the cover as they no doubt rush back to fix the rest of the train station.

A laugh comes from Mélodieux as he lets go of my hands to stand. "Did you plan that, my melody?"

I roll my eyes as I push myself to my feet, glad that the pain's completely gone. My bag shakes as a smiling Nooroo darts up to wink at me before zipping back to his holder. "Nope," I say, "just had some Ladybug sixth-sense I've never told you about."

I hear him say his transformation words behind me, and I hear a small pop and see a purple flash as he becomes his hero persona again.

Tikki floats up to me, an enormous smile on her face. I look back at her, my grin matching her own. "Tikki, spots on!"

I transform, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I turn back around to Mélodieux. I bounce my yo-yo in my palm as he nods to me, and we both bolt back around the corner and up the sewer cover.

True to the charm, the Miraculous Ladybug fixed the entire station. Everything looks as it did before Bastet used her Cataclysm, and I breathe in a breath of fresh air as Mélodieux puts the cover back in its place.

We look at each other one last time.

I have to go and purify the feather before it drifts back to its master, but I linger for one last look at my Butterfly friend. I've never seen him before this moment, and I have no idea when I might see him again.

"You're off to purify the feather, Ladybug?" He tilts his head, and a soft smile grows on his face as the sunlight illuminates his purple-tipped hair.

"Yeah…" I sigh as I take in every little detail.

He shifts on his feet, concern replacing the smile. "Is there something else that's wrong?"

My tongue licks my lips, and as my mouth moves, I force sounds out of my mouth. "Will I ever see you again?"

He takes a step to me, a chuckle coming from him as he rests his hands at his hips. "Of course, Ladybug. My helpers-"

"No," I interrupt. "I mean, am I going to see you, personally, ever again?"

Red colors his face. "You really like the real me? The one behind the Champions?"

"Yes…" I twirl my yo-yo, getting ready to launch myself through the station's open windows. "It's okay if you don't want to see each other again, I just want to know if… if this is the last time I'll see you in person before this all ends."

He takes a step back, and another, as he starts to head in the opposite direction. "I don't think I'll be more active in battles, but if you want to see more of me, my melody, then I don't mind coming out of my cocoon a little more." He pauses in his walk, sincerity replacing the grin. The same kind of shyness I saw earlier on Nooroo spills through. "I just ask that it be to you and only you. I don't feel too comfortable about being around the others just yet."

I nod. "Of course, Mélodieux."

I swing my yo-yo out, and it tightens as it latches onto a support beam. I turn back to Mélodieux, looking one last time at his deep blue eyes.

"Goodbye, little butterfly," I say as I give a little wave.

As I give one last test pull of my yo-yo string, I hear his final words. As I sling-shot myself through the open window above and catch a glimpse of my friends outside the station, his words echo in my ears.

"Until next time, my melody."

* * *

Mini Cast list:  
-Bastet = Black Cat!Nathalie  
-Papillon Mélodieux, but mainly referred to as Mélodieux = Butterfly!Luka  
-Apis = Bee!Adrien  
-Pavone = Peacock!Gabe  
-Carapace, Rena Rouge, and Ladybug are still Nino, Alya, and Mari

_Holy heckies I'm finally done. This was such a fun thing to write, and it took me almost the entire summer to write and edit it. I also kinda… wrote this in like the middle of the timeline of the AU SO SOME THINGS MIGHT NOT MAKE SENSE SOB! But I mean if George Lucas can do it and Miraculous can put the beginning halfway through season 1… _

_Again, a super thank you to assassy for letting me write a story for her AU, and I gotta say, Bastet!Nathalie is my new addiction (and angsty GabeNath sob)! Assassy's coming up with designs for all the kwami swaps at the moment {**BIG NOTE: Luka's design is still being figured out so changes may be made in the future**}, and please check out her stuff and send her support she got awesome ideas! She's an awesome Miraculous creator and cool friend!_

_That's it for me! More stuff to come as soon as I can make it, and I hope you all enjoyed! I'll try to write some more Lukanette and the MOTW AU soon as well!_

_See you all in the next story! :D_

_XD_


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